I need to ask everyone a question. If you saw someone being victimized in the middle of the city, what would YOU do? Would you stare? Would you try to intervene? Would you walk by as if it's not even happening?
There has been a lot of buzz recently in Portland about violence. Eric Benson was killed by a stranger right in Monument Square last week. Domestic violence on street corners and unruly patrons in the Old Port.
I was physically abused as a child, sexually abused as a teen and even more so as an adult. Sadly, because of my personal trauma, I suffer from PTSD among other things. If I saw someone hurting a mother who had children with her lets say, I would see red. I would start shaking, crying and want to go rip the attacker a new rear end. But obviously, that's NOT the right thing to do! Not even close!
When I was a teen, I had a friend who was being abused by her boyfriend. I understood what she was going through, and was there to support her. She said that she left the guy. A few weeks later he started a fight with her in front of me, so I took the phone and went into the bathroom to call the police. He was arrested, and she was upset with me for calling for help. I felt like I had betrayed her by seeking safety, for the both of us. A few days later, her boyfriend was released from jail. The very day he got out, my friend had a black eye.
His excuse for giving it to her? She didn't stop me from calling the police on him a few nights previous. I had intervened and since she knew what I was doing and she didn't try to stop me, she got "what she deserved."
Every scenario, every abuser, and every victim are different. I don't think there is a "right" way to handle situations such as this. If you see someone on the street being pushed around (or worse) by someone else, call 911 ASAP! Please don't walk by and assume that someone else has called already! You never know, you could be saving a life.
Because we all know what it means to assume - it makes an "ASS" out of "U" and "ME."
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There has been a lot of buzz recently in Portland about violence. Eric Benson was killed by a stranger right in Monument Square last week. Domestic violence on street corners and unruly patrons in the Old Port.
I was physically abused as a child, sexually abused as a teen and even more so as an adult. Sadly, because of my personal trauma, I suffer from PTSD among other things. If I saw someone hurting a mother who had children with her lets say, I would see red. I would start shaking, crying and want to go rip the attacker a new rear end. But obviously, that's NOT the right thing to do! Not even close!
When I was a teen, I had a friend who was being abused by her boyfriend. I understood what she was going through, and was there to support her. She said that she left the guy. A few weeks later he started a fight with her in front of me, so I took the phone and went into the bathroom to call the police. He was arrested, and she was upset with me for calling for help. I felt like I had betrayed her by seeking safety, for the both of us. A few days later, her boyfriend was released from jail. The very day he got out, my friend had a black eye.
His excuse for giving it to her? She didn't stop me from calling the police on him a few nights previous. I had intervened and since she knew what I was doing and she didn't try to stop me, she got "what she deserved."
Every scenario, every abuser, and every victim are different. I don't think there is a "right" way to handle situations such as this. If you see someone on the street being pushed around (or worse) by someone else, call 911 ASAP! Please don't walk by and assume that someone else has called already! You never know, you could be saving a life.
Because we all know what it means to assume - it makes an "ASS" out of "U" and "ME."
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